March 31 (Bloomberg) -- New Orleans Saints coach Sean
Payton will appeal his one-year suspension for his role in the
National Football League team’s bounty program, ESPN reported on
its website.

Payton was suspended for the 2012-13 season on March 21 for
his part in allowing and covering up the bounty program that
included financial bonuses for injuring opposing players. The
penalty was the stiffest ever imposed by the NFL on a team and
its leadership.

General manager Mickey Loomis was also suspended eight
games, assistant coach Joe Vitt was banned six games and the
Saints were fined $500,000 and striped of second-round draft
picks in 2012 and 2013. Loomis, Vitt and the team will also
appeal, ESPN said.

Payton had until April 2 to appeal and would be able to
stay on as coach if he does so pending a hearing, ESPN said. He
approached two-time Super Bowl winner Bill Parcells, whom he had
formerly worked under as an assistant, to discuss becoming
interim coach during his ban, ESPN reported this week.